The Magic Hour, by James S. Crowley, opens with nine-year-old twin brothers Eddie and Brian preparing to spend their first night alone outside in their tree house. Their friend, Tad, has loaned them a story that he says they must listen to. The story turns out to be scarier than they thought it would be and Brian doesn’t want to finish listening to it, but Eddie persuades him to. When Brian falls to his death later that night, Eddie feels partially responsible.
Brian visits Eddie in his dreams and tells him things about his long dead relations that Eddie would have no way of knowing. His parents are skeptical at first, but can’t help believing him because of the things he now knows. These things would be impossible for him to know, unless he really did have contact with his dead brother. Eddie is happy that his dead brother is visiting him in his dreams, but he really wants a chance to physically meet with his brother again.
Cindy, a young witch, tells him that would be possible at the Witches’ Sabbath and invites him to attend. They would be the only young people there; she has received special permission from her mom, the head witch. Once there, Eddie feels that it is all wrong and leaves, going straight back home through the woods.
On his trip through the woods, he becomes scared. The events of the tale he and his brother were listening to on that fateful night seem to be coming true. On the way home, he trips and hits his head and is knocked unconscious. While he is unconscious, the magic hour, when the time changes and it hits 1 AM twice, occurs and during this hour Eddie visits with his dead brother, Brian.
The story itself is good and written very well. There are some great lessons taught, such as always treat others with kindness and respect, nor should you be quick to judge other people. Witches compliment the Halloween theme, though I find their characters a bit hard to believe. They tend to be too perfect. Every character should have at least one, if not several, flaws.
Celebrating Halloween appears to be a city-wide event, with parades, floats and parties. Everything (there are several subplots) culminates at the Witches’ Sabbath, where everyone makes up with each other and realizes how wrongly they have treated others. The events are touching, but truly sappy.
I enjoyed the book, except for the totally sappy ending (so sappy it almost made me sick to my stomach). The last part of the book also came across as preachy. One reads a work of fiction to enjoy, to escape from the events of life. One does not normally read a work of fiction to be preached at.
This book can be obtained at Amazon, where I purchased my copy, by clicking on the link below.
The Magic Hour
